INJURED INNOCENCE.
A surprise--Public opinion--Questioned--Circumstantial
evidence--Inexorable.
With a heavy heart Harry set out for school; but it was a walk of a
mile, and his spirits were very elastic; so that by the time he had
settled to his afternoon's work, all his old interest and excitement in
the examination had returned. Again the class sat writing in their
corner-classroom, with busy fingers and hushed voices.
At half-past four Mr Prichard rose, contrary to his ordinary custom, to
collect the papers. Harry had just opened his desk hastily for some
blotting paper, and as he took the piece from its wonted corner, what
was his astonishment to see Egerton's crib lying there. As he was
making assurance doubly sure, that it really was the delectus-crib, he
felt a hand on his shoulder, and starting suddenly, found Mr Prichard
standing, looking over him into his desk.
"Give me your paper, Campbell," said Mr Prichard; "and that book!" he
added, sternly.
Harry's heart seemed to rise into his mouth. He was too frightened to
utter a word, but gave up the book immediately with his paper. The
whole affair had so astonished him that he scarcely knew whether he
stood on his head or his heels.
"Stay after school-prayers, Campbell," said Mr Prichard, as he passed
on, collecting the papers as he went.
Shortly after, the whole class rose, and many were the murmurs, "Sneak!
cribber!" that greeted Harry's burning ears as they all hurried along
towards the big schoolroom.
Poor boy! he felt in a sad strait, for he well knew how hard it would
be to clear himself. However, the consciousness of his innocence gave
him a brave heart. His mother had always told him that, no matter what
the consequences were, so long as his conscience told him he was in the
right, it was all well; and that seeming misfortunes would but work to
his final good.
Prayers over, Harry took up his position at Mr Prichard's desk. It so
happened no boys were kept in that evening, so the rest of the masters
were soon gone; but somehow or other the room did not clear so speedily
as usual. Harry's class especially was among the lingerers. The
report had soon spread through the school. And the boys (the younger
ones chiefly), always glad of a row when not themselves concerned,
stood peeping through the open doors.
"Leave the room at once, all of you," shouted Mr Prichard, "unless you
want an imposition?"
Waiting calmly and deliberately till the room was clear, and the doors
shut, while Harry longed, and yet dreaded for him to begin, Mr Prichard
turned and said--
"Well, Campbell, what have you to say for yourself? This morning, I
catch you in the act of copying, or attempting to copy, from Egerton's
paper; and, now, this afternoon, I find you with a book in your
possession, which, you know, you have no business whatever to have. I
suppose this will account for the correctness of your work during the
past half-year? Do you feel very proud of your performance," he added,
sneeringly, "when none of it was your own labour or cleverness?"
Meek-hearted Harry was in tears long before this oration was concluded;
and the streaming face and crimson blushes only tended to confirm Mr
Prichard's conviction of his guilt.
"Please, sir, I wasn't copying off Egerton this morning," sobbed Harry;
"I wasn't copying off him; and it isn't my book. It's--it's--it isn't
mine, sir!"
"It isn't yours, sir?" cried Mr Prichard, indignantly. "Have you the
face to contradict me flatly, sir, and say the book does not belong to
you? Whose name is that?" he cried, holding the delectus-translation,
open at its fly-leaf, to Harry.
And there plain enough it was--_Harry Campbell_.
"No, sir, no; it isn't mine," persisted Harry, through his tears. "It
isn't mine. I never saw it till this morning."
"You are only adding to your wrong conduct, Campbell," said Mr Prichard
very gravely. "It is bad enough for you to take unfair advantage of
your school-fellows; but you make the whole matter ten times worse by
telling a deliberate falsehood. The book is yours. Your name is in
it."
In vain Harry protested his innocence; Mr Prichard remained inexorable.
"You will come with me to Dr Palmer to-morrow," and putting the book
into his pocket, he stalked from the room.